[SOLVED] PC build under $700

[Xovation]

I am looking to build a decent gaming PC (I really don't play game a lot, but I do photo editing too). My main concerns when building:
• Budget up to $700 (without monitor, mouse, keyboard).
• Case: I live in a dusty environment and warm too. The less openings in the case the better (temperature in my room could get up 30 degrees Celsius or around 85 Fahrenheit), but I could somewhat control heat, but can’t with dust. So dust is more of an issue (REAL issue).
• I will only use INTEL (old mentality), so please don’t recommend AMD (unless you’re willing to convince a 50yrs who’s witnessed the not so good beginning of AMD).
o In fact, the dust issue and the Intel part are the only reason I am posting here. Otherwise, great recommendations already available online. But they don’t deal with dust and mostly recommend AMD.
• I might sacrifice upgradable things (slightly) for better MOBO and CPUs to stay on budget but get better MOBO and CPU.
• I already have two-year-old (Samsung SSDs listed below), if they will not have noticeable impact on performance, I could re-use them and use the money elsewhere. Unless technology has ready advanced since then in SSDs.
• I am building a PC for the next 5 yrs at least…so keep that in mind (I am writing this on 5yrs old PC).
• Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My current rig:
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K -
GPU: Nvidia GTX 750-Ti -
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB -
SSD: Samsung 850 Evo 500GB -
RAM: HyperX Fury DDR3 1600 C10 2x4GB -
MBD: Asus MAXIMUS VII RANGER

 

[cryoburner]

What is the system being used for? Do you feel your current one is inadequate in any way?

As far as CPU performance goes, an i7-4790K is still a relatively decent processor, offering nearly the same level of performance as the current mid-range i5 processors. While CPUs have added more cores, those will mainly only benefit applications that can specifically utilize them, and actual per-core performance hasn't exactly increased a huge amount in the last five years. So, a 4790K is still arguably a decent lower-mid-range processor compared the current CPU lineup.

A 750 Ti is now rather slow by current standards though, at least for gaming, and it's possible to get graphics cards with multiple times the performance for under $200. If you are not gaming, a 750 Ti would still be decent enough for general desktop use though.

As far as Intel vs AMD goes, AMD's 3000-series processors are currently more energy efficient than Intel's, and will in turn put out less heat at a given performance level. They also offer more threads for the money, though Intel's CPUs offer a little more performance per-core toward the high-end. Intel has new processors coming out within the next few months or so that will restore Hyperthreading to more closely match AMD on thread counts, but those processors will still be more power-hungry and put out more heat, as they have been using the same architecture and process node with only minor updates each year since 2015. It will likely be at least toward the end of next year before Intel has more efficient desktop CPUs on the market. So, it might be worth waiting until then if you really want to go with Intel and heat output under load is a concern.

You could always upgrade some other components like the graphics card now though, if you have need for more graphics performance.

 

[tennis2]

What country are you in? USA?

I would agree that the current i7-4790K is still a viable gaming CPU. Your GTX750Ti however....isn't. 8GB RAM is a bit lacking as well.

What PSU do you have. (make/model/wattage)?

What case do you currently have?

 

[anotherdrew]

I have to agree with the other 2 posts. The i7 you have is very competent for photo editing (which software?) and still good for gaming, assuming you are not trying to play the most CPU intensive games at 4k.

Will it last you 5 more years ... it could ... it depends on the software you are using. I think the hard thing is a video card that will keep you happy for 5 years is going to cost $400 plus ... that leaves you not enough for the an upgraded CPU, Motherboard, and RAM.

Dust ... dust is not the worst thing in the world. It will not hurt your components. Yes, you will need to clean your fans and heatsinks more often because heat will hurt your components. I would rather have a cool, dusty computer than a hot, clean one. 1 can of air cost $5-$10 and will last you multiple years, even if you are cleaning every 3 months.

 

[OllympianGamer]

If you want to stop dust build up just install decent dust filters with your intake fans and try and keep it relatively pressure neutral or slightly positive. As for your system, yeah the 750ti wasn't too hot when it released, your cpu and mobo on the other hand are still decent. You could buy a 2060 for less than half your budget, your system would be great at ultra 1080p, maybe even 1440p in some titles.
The issue is buying an intel cpu, to avoid a kind of side grade you would have to aim for at least 6c/12t and intel has been a bit stingy with their threads in the past couple of years. The i7 9700k for example is 8c/8t, no hyperthreading. Sure it's better than the 4790k but it costs £350. Sadly for you on a limited budget AMD is the obvious choice, for less than £200 you could get a r5 3600 and I'm sure 99% of the users on here would recommend it to you.

 

[cryoburner]

...assuming you are not trying to play the most CPU intensive games at 4k.

Actually at 4K (and at 1440p with graphics cards in this price range), demand on the CPU should be lower, since the graphics hardware will be what's limiting performance most of the time. High-refresh rate 1080p displays are where you are more likely to run into CPU limitations, since the graphics hardware is capable of pushing higher frame rates at that resolution.

The issue is buying an intel cpu, to avoid a kind of side grade you would have to aim for at least 6c/12t and intel has been a bit stingy with their threads in the past couple of years.

I think even with an AMD processor, the near-term performance benefits would still be a bit limited. Sure, something like a Ryzen 3600 would be somewhat of an upgrade, but we're still looking at relatively minor performance gains in most current games that won't be making much use of those extra cores. With a good overclock, an i7-4790K could just about match a 3600's performance in the majority of games, even if the 3600 might maintain somewhat more stable performance in certain heavily-multithreaded titles. I suspect we'll see the 3600 pulling ahead further with many of the games designed for the upcoming next-gen consoles, but at this time, games that will benefit from those extra cores are in the minority.

And compared to what's on Intel's side, something like an i5-9600K would actually be a little faster in most games (at least the ones that are limited by CPU performance rather than graphics), but with only 6-cores without Hyperthreading, the processor won't really handle heavily-multithreaded titles much better than a 4-core, 8-thread i7-4790K. Something like an 8-core 9700K might be a bit better at handling heavily-multithreaded titles, but still, I can't help but think one might be better off waiting for at least the next Intel processors that will once again have hyperthreading, and should be launching in a matter of months. Of course, even something like a 6-core, 12-thread i5-10600K is likely to cost close to $300 at launch, and once you add in a new motherboard, 16GB of RAM and a capable cooler if needed, you might be looking at spending close to $600 just for those components, which wouldn't really leave enough for a decent graphics card upgrade on a $700 budget. It's likely that an i5-10400F will be a decent alternative to a Ryzen 3600 for under $200, which could free up some money for the graphics hardware, but again, the performance gains over an i7-4790K will likely be limited in games not utilizing the extra cores. If we were talking about an upgrade from an i5 of that generation, it would be easier to recommend a new processor, but that i7 should still hold up reasonably well, at least for the time being.

I agree that it might be best just to focus on a graphics card upgrade for now, and to move up to 16GB of RAM. A graphics card in the $200-$400 range would provide massively better performance in modern games, and would do far more for gaming performance than any other component upgrade. An i7-4790K probably still has at least a couple years of decent gaming performance left in it, and by then, there may be better processors worth upgrading to.

 

[anotherdrew]

Actually at 4K (and at 1440p with graphics cards in this price range), demand on the CPU should be lower, since the graphics hardware will be what's limiting performance most of the time. High-refresh rate 1080p displays are where you are more likely to run into CPU limitations, since the graphics hardware is capable of pushing higher frame rates at that resolution.

I did qualify it by saying the "most CPU intensive games at 4k" (a euphemism for making your system work really hard) ... but you are right that 4k vs 1080 has more to do with the GPU than the CPU.

 

[need4speeds]

5+ years is a really long time in the computer world and impossible to ensure for $700.
-The cpu+mem+drives, ect. you have now are ok for gaming. Your video card was a budget card when it was new.

The cpu you have now has a limit to how powerful a GPU will be worth it and give you more gaming fps.

-I am going to assume your sticking with "classic" 1080p gaming, which for any quad core cpu is about the limit within reason.
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#sort=price&c=436,446,425,392,478,484,445,444

Then you end up with a list of the cheapest to more expensive cards.
$119.99 RX-570 4gb Gigabyte Gaming 1168mhz 1255mhz boost. 150watts
$179.99 RX-5500XT 4gb Asrock 1685mhz, 1845mhz boost. 130watts.
$273.98 RX-5600XT 6gb XFX THICC II Pro 1247mhz 1620mhz boost. 150watts. 280mm long 2 fans.
$289.99 RX-5600XT 6gb XFX THICC III Pro 1247mhz 1750mhz boost. 150watts. MEASURE YOU CASE IT'S 326mm long.
* limited fps gains and overkill for 1080p gaming are the cards below...*
$329.99 RX-5700 8GB XFX 1565mhz 1750boost. 180watts.
$389.99 RTX-2070 8gb MSI Tri Frozr 1410mhz, 1670mhz boost. 185watts, 304mm (longer 3 fan card)
$389.99 RTX-2070 8gb Gigabyte Windforce 2x. 1420mhz, 1620mhz boost. 185watts, 265mm (shorter 2 fan card)

Also the competition for this midrange gpu price point that is likely most gpu sales is intense.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBlARZ-Zzv4

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTbO8bUr1fQ

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byp4mGJ-wxM


A new case with decent filters and fans and maybe RGB would make your system look newer.